Do you ever wonder what your cleaning lady secretly thinks about your home? Sure, she’s always pleasant and upbeat when she talks to you, but does she silently seethe about having to clean your bathroom? Read on to discover ten things your cleaning lady thinks but will never tell you.
Your Vacuum Cleaner Sucks
Poorly performing equipment makes for a poor result, which means your house isn’t getting as clean as it could be. For instance, if your vacuum cleaner doesn’t function well, dirt and debris will be left behind. If your vacuum cleaner doesn’t suck, the job it does will.
Likewise, old, worn-out mops, brooms, brushes, sponges, and the like don’t perform well. And cheap (poorly made) cleaning supplies are just as bad; they break easily and produce poor results.
If you go to the expense of hiring someone to clean your home, go the rest of the way by supplying supplies that perform with the same efficiency that you expect from your house cleaner.
Your Home is Too Cluttered
Clutter impairs house cleaning. Maybe you’re indifferent to the mountains of junk mail and magazines overtaking countertops, but your cleaning lady isn’t.
It’s impossible to properly clean kitchen counters covered in stuff or remove dust from surfaces buried in objects. Vacuuming and sweeping and mopping cannot be effectively accomplished in areas where floors are inaccessible.
Reducing clutter makes it possible to clean a home properly. Plus, clutter-free spaces actually look clean after your house cleaner has visited.
Your Bathroom Is Disgusting
The bathroom is the one room in the house that requires constant attention. Soap scum and other nasties build up quickly if they’re not dealt with on a regular basis. No one wants to spend an hour and half scrubbing an inch of accumulated crud off your shower walls, even if you’re paying them to do so. And that gross stuff in the toilet bowl? Forget about it. Nobody wants to look at that, much less clean it.
Using a squeegee in the shower after each use all but eliminates soap scum buildup. A toilet brush isn’t difficult to use. If your house cleaner only comes once a month, take measures to ensure that your bathroom gets the attention it needs in between. The bottom line: don’t expect others to clean up filthy messes you wouldn’t touch.
She Can’t Read Your Mind
If you’ve got specific ideas about what you’d like to have incorporated into your home’s cleaning regimen, your house cleaner needs to be clued in to this information. For example, if it’s important to you that upholstery be vacuumed or window grates get dusted, communicating these expectations to your cleaning lady will ensure that the job gets done.
Many little details comprise a house cleaning routine, and one person’s idea of what it means to clean a house will never be identical to the next person’s. Your house cleaner can’t customize your house cleaning routine to suit your needs unless you let her know your preferences.
Your Problems Aren’t Her Problems
Your cleaning lady works for many people besides you, all of whom have issues that arise from time to time. Sometimes these situations create the need to reschedule or cancel house cleaning appointments; the unexpected is an inevitable part of life.
However, regularly asking your house cleaner to reschedule appointments is not fair to her or the other people for whom she works. It’s simply not realistic to expect others to repeatedly rearrange their schedules to accommodate your life.
If you don’t think you’ll be able to stick to a regular schedule due to extenuating circumstances, be up front about it. Your house cleaner might be glad to keep you on standby to fill in the gaps when regulars occasionally cancel or go on vacation.
She’s Not Your Dog Walker
Pet care and house cleaning are two completely different jobs. Unless prearranged, walking your dog doesn’t fall under the “house cleaner” umbrella. Asking your cleaning lady to potty your pet is actually forcing her to take responsibility for your pet’s well being, which is more than she signed on for. Think about what would happen if Fido ran off or got hurt.
Plus, pet care takes time away from the job you hired your house cleaner to do: clean your house. If Fido needs to go out, hire a dog walker.
She’s Not Your Personal Shopper
If you don’t have time to pick up cleaning supplies, why would you assume that your cleaning lady does? Chances are she’s just as busy as you. She’s also got fifteen houses besides yours to think about. Write it down and pick up what you need when you’re buying bread and milk.
Your Chitchat is Distracting
Your house cleaner wants to be friendly, but not necessarily your best friend. Casual conversation as she comes or goes is nice. Following her around and filling her in on the details of your Cousin Erin’s dermatological problems is distracting. Don’t take advantage of having a captive audience; the job will suffer for it.
Your Prompt Payment is Not only Appreciated but Expected
Unless prior arrangements have been made, payment is expected at the time service is provided. Forgetting to leave payment once in a while is forgivable human error. Repeatedly stiffing the cleaning lady is just tacky. If you can’t afford the service, don’t sign up for it.
Your Courtesy is Valued
The true barometer of a person’s character is how they treat others. Your house cleaner remembers which clients treat her respectfully, and which ones don’t. Diplomacy and courtesy go a long way toward establishing a good rapport, which is a highly desirable situation when it comes to your relationship with someone who works in your home.
Having an open line of communication that flows in both directions is the best way to ensure that both you and your cleaning lady get what you need from your affiliation. After all, that’s the point of the whole arrangement, isn’t it? You want your house cleaned, and your cleaning lady needs to earn a living. So why not make sure she has what she needs to provide you with what you hired her to do? It’s a win-win.
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